Baby bouncer

ABSTRACT

A baby bouncer having a frame with a base that includes a pair of upwardly and forwardly extending legs connected to the base that carry a baby support wherein a baby placed in the support faces in a forwardly direction.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to baby bouncers and more particularly isdirected to a bouncer having improved bouncing qualities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Bouncers are a very popular product, and a great variety ofbouncers are on the market. In their simplest form the bouncers nowavailable generally include a U-shaped wire base that rests on the flooror other surface with the closed end of the U at the rear, and haveupwardly and rearwardly extending legs that form a continuation of thebase at the front ends of the arms of the U and provide the bouncingaction for the bouncer. A cradle-like baby support is mounted at the topof the upwardly and rearwardly extending legs so that movement of thebaby disposed in the support causes the unit to bounce gently so as toentertain the baby. Bouncers now available have been embellished byproviding toy bars that extend above the baby support for furtherentertaining the baby, and many bouncers also include vibrators attachedto the bouncer frame that cause the bouncer to vibrate gently to soothethe baby. In addition, many of the bouncers include an electronic musicsource and lights to further soothe and lull the baby to sleep. Typicalof the bouncers available are those shown in the following U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,553,786; 5,187,826; 5,207,478; 5,503,458; 5,411,315. In all ofthese bouncers, the infant faces in one direction and the legs extendupwardly in the opposite direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In accordance with the present invention, the orientation of thebase and legs is reversed, that is, the closed end of the U is on thefront of the base and the legs extend upwardly and forwardly from therear portion of the base and the cradle is oriented so that the infantin it faces in the direction of the closed end of the U. Thisorientation increases the length of the moment arm of the force suppliedto the legs by the weight of the infant and therefore accentuates thebouncing action that results from movement of the infant in it. Thisconcept may be advantageously employed in bouncers wherein the legs andbase are made of a continuous wire or tubing or of wire or tubularsections that are joined together either directly or by connectors. Theconcept may also be advantageously employed in bouncers that have framesmade of plastic or other materials.

[0004] The bouncer may include such embellishments as a toy bar, canopy,vibrator, music maker and/or lights as the configuration of the framedoes not interfere with the attachment of those devices.

[0005] The present invention will be better understood and appreciatedfrom the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof,selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bouncer constructed inaccordance with this invention;

[0007]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the frame of the bouncer shown inFIG. 1 with the toy bar and fabric removed;

[0008]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of frame for abouncer embodying this invention; and

[0009]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the baby supportof the bouncer of FIGS. 1 and 2, taken along section line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] The bouncer shown in FIG. 1 includes a frame 10 and a cradle-likebaby support 12 carried by the frame. The frame 10 has a base 14 andupper portion 16, and the base 14 supports the upper portion 16 on aflat surface, such as a floor, table top, etc. The upper portion 16 inturn carries the fabric 18 that comprises the cradle 12.

[0011] The base 14 of the frame includes a generally U-shaped portion 20having side members 22 and a front member 24, and lies flat on thesupporting surface. Extending upwardly from the rear end 26 of each sidemember 22 is an upwardly and forwardly extending leg 28 that in turncarries a connector 30 on its upper end 32.

[0012] The upper frame portion 16 includes a U-shaped wire 40 havingsides 42 and an arcuate upper end 44. The lower ends 46 of the sides 42may be connected to the upper ends 32 of the legs 28 of the base 14 ofthe frame by a variety of different ways. For example, the lower ends ofthe sides 42 may be connected to the connectors 30 or they may beconnected directly to the upper ends 32 of the legs 28 by a telescopinginterfit, or by any other means. A second U-shaped wire 50 cooperateswith the U-shaped wire 40 to provide support for the cradle 12. In theembodiment shown, the ends 52 of the wire 50 are looped about the lowerends of the arms 42, and a stop may be provided as suggested at 54 forengaging the ends 52 so as to prevent the wire from moving below aselected angle with respect to the arms 42. Typically, the stops maylimit the downward travel of wire 50 to a horizontal position when thebouncer stands on a horizontal surface.

[0013] The fabric cradle 12 for supporting the baby in the bouncer maytypically be made of a quilted fabric provided with pockets 60 and 62 onthe back thereof that slip over the U-shaped wires 40 and 50 so that thewires together support the fabric. This construction is suggested inFIG. 4. The edges of the fabric are preferably padded as shown at 63 soas to form a bumper around the periphery of the cradle and prevent thebaby in the cradle from bumping its head or any other part of the bodyagainst the U-shaped wires 40 and 50.

[0014] While the illustrated embodiment shows pockets in the quiltedfabric to attach the fabric to the U-shaped members 40 and 50, strapfasteners having snaps or Velcro-type hook and loop fasteners mayaccomplish the same purpose, or sleeves may be formed in the fabric toreceive wires 40 and 50. It is desirable, however, that whatever meansbe used to attach the fabric to the U-shaped wires 40 and 50, it shouldallow the fabric to be detached from the frame for washing or cleaning.

[0015] The connectors 30 also preferably carry a generally downwardlyextending brace 70 that when placed in its active position engages thecross member 72 of the base 14 (see FIG. 1), to prevent or greatly limitthe bouncing action which is otherwise afforded the bouncer. The crossmember 72 is shown attached between the side members 22 of the base butit may be incorporated into the base in a number of different ways. Forexample, it may be attached to the front member 24 and extendedrearwardly therefrom, or it may fill the entire area defined by theU-shaped portion 20 of the base 14. It will be appreciated that in theembodiment shown a substantial portion of the bouncing action isprovided by the flexibility in the legs 28, and that action will besubstantially impeded when the brace 70 is moved to the position shownin FIG. 1 wherein the brace engages the cross member 72. When it ismoved to the raised position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, full freedom ofbouncing motion is afforded the unit.

[0016] The cross member 72 may have a groove or stop in its uppersurface as suggested at 74 to receive the bottom portion 71 of the braceto releasably hold the brace in the operative position to block thebouncing action. In the embodiment shown, the brace is U-shaped with thearms 75 of the brace pivotally mounted to the connectors 30. The bracemay take other shapes and may simply engage the surface on which thebouncer rests to block the bouncing action.

[0017] The bouncer may include a vibrator 73, many varieties of whichare commonly available and used in children's furniture. The vibrator 73is suggested in broken lines in FIG. 2, mounted in the front member 24of the base 14. As suggested in FIG. 2, one or more control switches 78is disposed on the upper surface of the front member 24 of the base andmay enable the user to select one or more vibration speeds andconveniently facilitate turning the vibrator on and off.

[0018] The bouncer may also includes a canopy 80 forming part of thecradle, that may be elevated as a shade for the baby in the bouncer,when it is disposed in the position of FIG. 1, and may be collapsed soas to lie essentially in the plane of the U-shaped back wire 40 when notin use. The canopy typically may include a fabric cover and one or morearcuate ribs 84 that support the fabric and are made of plastic, metalor other suitable material. The ribs 84 may be disposed in pockets 85also suggested by broken lines in FIG. 1, and the rear margin 86 may bestitched or otherwise secured either permanently or detachably to thetop edge 88 of the cradle fabric. The side margins 89 of the canopy mayalso be stitched or otherwise secured to the side edges 62 of the cradlefabric and the ribs 84 may simply float in the pockets 85. Theconstruction enables the canopy to be easily raised and lowered asneeded.

[0019] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, in accordance with another aspect ofthe invention, a toy bar 90 is shown and incorporated into the bouncerby means of attachment to the connectors 30. The ends 92 of the toy barmay be directly connected to the connectors 30 and preferably theconnection enables the toy bar to be placed in different angularpositions suitable for the baby. For a larger (older) baby, the toy barmay be elevated above the position shown in FIG. 1, while in theposition of FIG. 1 it is positioned so that a very young baby maycontact the toys on the bar with his/her feet and make noise orotherwise activate the toys depending of course, on the types of toysmounted on the bar. In the embodiment shown the toy bar 90 is carried onhubs 94 forming part of the connectors 30 so that the toy bar may easilybe pivoted about the axes of the hubs. The toy bar hub 94 may contain aradial rib (not shown) on its inner face that coopertaes with the radialslots 95 shown in FIG. 2 on the connector 30 to enable the toy bar 90 tobe oriented in different angular positions. This is only one example ofmany different arrangements that may be used for the stated purpose. Atoy 91 is suggested in FIGS. 1 and 4 mounted on the bar 90 and is merelyrepresentative of countless different toys that may be carried on it. Itshould be appreciated that other means may be used to support the toybar. For example, its ends may be pivotally connected to the lower ends46 of the U-shaped back wire 40 or to the rear ends of the sides of theU-shaped wire 42.

[0020] In FIG. 3 a second embodiment of frame is shown. In accordancewith this embodiment, the frame 100 includes a base 102 having a frontportion 104 and rearwardly extending side members 106 to the rear ends108 of which upwardly and forwardly extending legs 110 are connected.The front portion 104 of the base 102 may be integrally connected to theside members 106 or may be separately made and connected together suchas by a telescopic connection. Similarly, the upwardly and forwardlyextending legs 110 may be integrally formed with the base 102 or beseparately fabricated and connected such as by a telescoping connectionor other expedient to the ends 108 of the side members 106.

[0021] The back portion of the cradle (not shown) in this embodiment issupported by a U-shaped frame member 112 connected to the upper andforward ends 111 of the legs 110 and extends upwardly and rearwardlytherefrom. Finally, a second U-shaped frame member 114 is shownconnected to the very upper ends 113 of the legs 110. The ends of member114 alternatively may be connected to the lower ends of sides 116 of themember 112. The U-shaped members 112 and 114 typically made of steelwire carry the fabric cradle in the same manner as the U-shaped members(wires) 40 and 50 described above in connection with the embodiment ofFIG. 1. As in the preceding embodiment, means (not shown) provided suchas a flange or shelf to limit downward movement of U-shaped member 114and hold it in the substantially horizontal position illustrated whenthe bouncer is in use. The upper U-shaped section 112 that supports theback rest may be integral with or separately fabricated and connected tothe upper ends 111 of the legs 110.

[0022] An important advantage of the present invention resides in itsability to provide greater bouncing motion for the baby. In conventionalbouncers widely sold, the cradle orients the child so that it faces in adirection opposite that provided in the present invention. In the priorart bouncers shown, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,786, the centerof gravity of the baby together with the cradle is disposed nearer tothe forward bend of the base at the bottom of the inclined legs thanwith the bouncer of the present invention. Therefore, the longer momentarm achieved by the present invention will impart more bouncing actionabout the lower ends of the legs in response to movement of the baby.

[0023] Having described this invention in detail, those skilled in theart will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made of theembodiments illustrated and described without departing from theinvention. For example, that the invention may be embodied in bouncershaving a collapsible frame as well as in bouncers having a frame thatmay be readily disassembled to facilitate travel or storage. Thecollapsing action is suggested by the broken line showing of theU-shaped member 50 in FIG. 2. It should also be appreciated that whilein the description the frame components are sometimes called wires ortubes, the invention is not limited to one or the other of the shape andmaterial suggested, and the frame may be made of plastic or othermaterials. Therefore, the breadth of the invention is not limited to thespecific aspects illustrated and described but rather its scope is to bedetermined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A baby bouncer comprising a frame having a basewith front and rear portions for supporting the bouncer on a horizontalsurface, a pair of upwardly and forwardly extending legs connected tothe rear portion of the base, and a cradle mounted on the upper ends ofthe legs for orienting a baby within the cradle facing in the directionof the front portion of the base.
 2. A baby bouncer as defined in claim1, wherein bouncing action is imparted to the bouncer by the flexibilityof the legs and/or the connection between the legs and the rear portionof the base.
 3. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 2, wherein a brace isconnected to the frame for selectively limiting the bouncing action ofthe bouncer.
 4. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 1, wherein a vibratoris mounted on the base for imparting vibration to the bouncer.
 5. Abouncer comprising: a frame having a base with front and rear portions;a pair of upwardly and forwardly extending legs connected to the base; aconnector carried on each of the legs adjacent the upper ends thereof;and a cradle frame having an upwardly and rearwardly extending backsupport portion carried by the connector and a forwardly extendingsubstantially horizontal leg support portion operatively joined to theback support portion and a cradle carried by said back and leg supportportions.
 6. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 5, wherein a toy bar ismounted on the connections and spans the cradle frame.
 7. A baby bounceras defined in claim 5, wherein a canopy is carried by the back supportportion of the cradle frame.
 8. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 5,wherein a brace is connected to the bouncer for selectively impedingbouncing motion of the cradle frame.
 9. A baby bouncer as defined inclaim 8 wherein the brace is mounted on the frame and movable between anoperative bounce impeding position and an inoperative position whereinthe brace does not impede the bouncing motion.
 10. A baby bouncer asdefined in claim 9 wherein the brace is pivotally mounted on the frame.11. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 9 wherein the brace engages aportion of the frame in an operative position and disengages the portionof the frame in the inoperative position.
 12. A baby bouncer as definedin claim 11 wherein the brace is pivotally mounted on the frame.
 13. Ababy bouncer as defined in claim 3 wherein the brace is mounted on theframe and movable between an operative bounce impeding position and aninoperative position wherein the brace does not impede the bouncingmotion.
 14. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 13 wherein the brace ispivotally mounted on the frame.
 15. A baby bouncer as defined in claim13 wherein the brace engages a portion of the frame in an operativeposition and disengages the portion of the frame in the inoperativeposition.
 16. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 2, wherein a means isconnected to the frame for selectively limiting the bouncing action ofthe bouncer.
 17. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 5, wherein the legsare made of a spring-like material imparting flexibility to the frame tofacilitate the bouncing motion.
 18. A baby bouncer as defined in claim5, wherein the base includes a pair of side members for engaging asupport surface, and said legs form a continuation of the side member.19. A baby bouncer as defined in claim 18, wherein the side members andlegs are integral with one another.
 20. A baby bouncer as defined inclaim 18, wherein the side members and legs are made of metal wire. 21.A bouncing frame for a baby support comprising a base, legs joined tothe base and extending upwardly and forwardly therefrom, and connectorson the upper ends of the legs for connecting to the baby support so thata baby in the support faces forwardly on the frame.